Just a Love Letter to Saigon's Tropical Fruits
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- Published on 15 May 2022
- Written by Govi Snell and Hoàng Hạnh Phương. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
How lovely to have taste buds and to have tasty things to eat.
Hẻm Gems: Just a Short Walk From Bến Thành, a Hearty Bún Chả for Lunch
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- Published on 13 May 2022
- Written by Vũ Thị Như Quỳnh. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên. Top graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
In his essay collection Hà Nội 36 Phố Phường (The 36 Streets of Hanoi), Thạch Lam famously writes "Ngàn năm bửu vật đất Thăng Long / Bún chả là đây có phải không?" The couplet compares bún chả to a thousand-year-old delicacy that only Hanoi has.
Here Are the Fabulous Finalists of Miss Universe's National Costume Design Competition
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- Published on 12 May 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
From feng shui to bánh tráng trộn, the chosen designers find their inspiration everywhere.
Facing Another Removal Plan, Will Chợ Cũ Tôn Thất Đạm Survive 2022?
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- Published on 11 May 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.
After years of existing on paper, Saigon authorities’ plan to remove chợ cũ might become a reality this year.
At Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge's Launch, Exuberance and Selfies Galore
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- Published on 10 May 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
After seven years under construction, the Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge officially opened for traffic at 5pm, April 28. This was a much-anticipated project for Saigoneers, with over VND3.1 trillion in investment — the most of the city’s existing bridges at the time of writing.
Đà Lạt-Born French Writer Linda Lê Passes Away at 58
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- Published on 10 May 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Born in Đà Lạt in 1963, Linda Lê moved to France as an adolescent and went on to write numerous award-winning works of fiction in French.
The Splendor of Hát Bội, as Depicted in Vintage Posters for the 1889 Paris World's Fair
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- Published on 09 May 2022
- Written by Ann Ann. Top image by Simona Nguyễn. Images courtesy of Ngọc Nguyễn.
From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, hát bội left a major mark on the hearts and minds of many viewers, including French colonizers. The French brought this form of folk performance art to the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, a world’s fair organized to showcase international cultures. Scenes of hát bội can be seen on promotional materials, souvenirs, and lithograph prints from back then.
Mangroves: The Everyday Superheroes Protecting Vietnam Against Climate Change
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- Published on 05 May 2022
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Graphics by Phan Nhi, Hannah Hoàng and Simona Nguyễn.
When you think of ways to combat the inevitable ravages of climate change and sea level rise, what comes to mind?
Ngõ Nooks: At Ốc Cô Nhung, an Affordable Five-Course Banquet of Snails and Snacks
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- Published on 28 April 2022
- Written by Linh Phạm. Photos by Linh Phạm.
If there is a restaurant in Hanoi that embodies the proverb “good wine needs no bush,” it’s Ốc cô Nhung. Though in this case, instead of wine, it is snails.
Wind, Sun and the Ocean: The Aerial Thrills of Paragliding Over Đà Nẵng
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- Published on 27 April 2022
- Written by Quang Hiệu Đặng. Photos by Quang Hiệu Đăng. Top image by Hannah Hoàng.
Paragliding means heaving in a lungful of air, bracing against a gale’s resistance, letting one’s mind ponder the vastness of the ocean below, floating in the middle of the sky, and — for me this time — taking film photos.
A Letter From Saigoneer
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- Published on 27 April 2022
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
Saigoneers ơi!
Vọng Cảnh, the Picturesque Hill in Huế That Even Emperors Cherished
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- Published on 26 April 2022
- Written by Tran Duy Minh. Photos by Tran Duy Minh.
The poetic Hương River flows calmly, the fresh air and breeze whisper through the lush pine forest, a coming sunset colors the peaceful natural spectacle. All of this can be experienced during a late-afternoon visit to Huế's Vọng Cảnh Hill.
'Spring Roll Dream,' a Short Film by Vietnamese Director Mai Vu, Is Screening at Cannes Festival
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- Published on 25 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
A short film directed by a Vietnamese director will be screened as part of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Saigoneer Podcast: A Look Back and a Farewell (for Now)
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- Published on 25 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Sad times.
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Ocean Vuong Asks Questions in 'Time Is a Mother'
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- Published on 20 April 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Fame and poetry rarely go together.
[Photos] T3 Architects Turned a Modernist Villa Into a Celebration of Chocolate
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- Published on 19 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Looks like we'll be working remote today.
[Photos] Look Back at Hanoi's Nội Bài Airport in 1995
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- Published on 18 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
In February, 1995, Yuichi Kobayashi, a Japanese businessman, came to Vietnam with a mission to set up a factory here.
Inside the Backbreaking Work of Quảng Ninh's Coal Miners
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- Published on 15 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Đồng Hiếu.
“I am a person with two skin tones.”
Local Photographer Recreates Mai Trung Thứ Paintings in Fashion Shoot
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- Published on 14 April 2022
- Written by Ann Ann. Photos courtesy of Minh Sơn.
In hopes of recreating the paintings of silk master Mai Trung Thứ, photographer Minh Sơn and his collaborators have done something extraordinary with this photo collection. The resulting works bear striking resemblance to their painted predecessors and have taken Vietnam’s social media by storm recently.
Mythology, History, and Supernaturals Mingle in the World of 'Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái'
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- Published on 12 April 2022
- Written by Nhi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái was one of Vietnam’s first anthologies written in Hán characters in prose form. It’s a collection of 22 folk tales, mythologies, and legends surrounding the origin story of the Vietnamese civilization, how our ancestors built and defended our sovereignty, and a myriad of ancient customs and spiritual folk beliefs.
